3 of the Strangest Music Videos of the 1980s

When it comes to music videos, there is a before and after. There was a time when music videos weren’t prized like they were in the 1980s and 1990s. Prior, they were rarely seen promo materials. But in the final two decades of the 20th century, the vids became essential stuff for bands.

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Below, we wanted to explore three music videos from the 1980s that have both survived over the years and remain as weird as they day they were released. Indeed, these are three of the strangest music videos of the entire 1980s.

“The Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats from ‘Rhythm Of Youth’ (1982)

This one-hit wonder has to be the strangest song of the entire decade. A song about finding a safe place to dance called “The Safety Dance” sung by an outfit called Men Without Hats—the whole thing seems like it’s the brain bomb of artificial intelligence. But it’s all real, and the work from the Canadian-born band still somehow holds a place in the cultural zeitgeist. Why? It’s so weird!

“Lick It Up” by KISS from ‘Lick It Up’ (1983)

Normally, whenever we see KISS in the world, we view them with their white and black face paint on. So, it’s especially odd to see the elaborate rock band out in the wild without the stuff caked on their mugs. But that’s exactly what’s happening in this music video. Who are these guys? And what have they done with the cartoonish KISS? Not only that, but this video has women climbing out of sewers and a lot of camera work on the band’s feet. Like we said—odd.

“Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham! from ‘Make It Big’ (1984)

Maybe it’s not that this music video is strange or especially odd—it’s just supremely cheesy! While the 80s and Wham! both have a reputation for being a little cheese-ball-centric, but this video really takes it to the next level. Lead vocalist George Michael, who is one of the greatest pop songwriters of the decade, is practically covered in cheddar and mozzarella in this work. And his 1,000-watt smile shines through the camera.

Photo by Tom Hill/WireImage